Rhythmical rattle.



Patented July 29, i902. L. s BURBANK. RHYTHMICAL BATTLE.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1900.| K

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(N0 Model.)-

rllllrlll .Patented July 29, |902.

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J .m d 0 M o u `nnical rattle,wl1ich when swung by hand in the 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS S. BURBANK, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VRHYTHMICAL. RATTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,819, dated July 29, 1902.

Application filed December 10, 1900. Serial No. 39|304. (No model.)

.To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS S. BUEBANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rhythmical Rattles, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part ofthe same, in whichm Figure l represents a perspective view of a rhythmical rattle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the center of and lengthwise the swinging arm. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the lever which engages the screw-threaded bar. Fig. 4 is an end View of the vibrating tongue which engages the notches of the screw-threaded bar. Fig. 5 is an end view of the vibrating tongue, showing a modified form of lug thereon. Fig. 6 is a perspective view with the vibrating tongue raised out of contact with the swinging arm. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional View of the screw-threaded bar, shown on a larger scale, with the notches of uniform depth. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the screw threaded bar with the notches of different depths; and Fig. 9 is a musical staff, showing'the rhythm of the recurring blows of the vibrating tongue upon the swinging arm.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in the different views.

My present invention relates to a rhythmanner of the well-known watchmans rattle produces a crepitating sound or succession of sharp taps arranged in rhythmic time and, if desired, with an accent or emphasis upon certain notes. l

The rattle formingthe subject of my present invention may be used as a toy for producing a recurrence of rhythmical taps or sounds or it may be employed as a watchmans rattle, by which the calls of different watchmen may be readily distinguished by varying the arrangement of notches upon the diiferent instruments. The well-known watchmans rattle comprises a handle having a series of ratchetteeth and carrying a swinging arm capable of being rotated about the handle by its swinging movement and having a yielding tooth or lug carried by the swinging arm and arranged to engage the ratchetteeth of the handle,

producing a succession of sharp noises by the snapping of the yielding tooth over the ratchet-teeth.

My present invention is an improvement upon the watchmans rattle; and it consists in arranging the teeth at varying intervals to produce a rhythmatic succession of sounds, in providing a screw-thread by which the swinging arm is fed from end to end of the handle, in providing means for returning the arm after it has completed its traversing movement along the handle, in providing a vibrating tongue arranged to strike the swinging arm and produce a series of taps, in increasing the resonance of the sounds by forming a sounding-box in the swinging arm, and in the several novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and set forth in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a bar having a handle 2 at one end and provided with a screw-thread 3. Inclosing the screw-threaded bar and capable of rotating thereon are collars 4 4, to which is attached a swinging arm 5, capable of being thrown around the bar 1 by the motion of the bar. Pivoted upon one side of the arm 5 is a lever 6, provided with a tooth or lug 7, held in engagement with the screw-thread 3 by an elastic band 8, wrapped around the lever G and arm 5. Upon the opposite side of the arm 5 isa vibrating tongue 9, pivoted near one end at 10 to the collars 4 4, with its free end resting upon the swinging arm 5 and held in contact therewith by an elastic band 11, wrapped around the arm and vibrating tongue. The screw-thread 3 is provided with a series of notches 12, arranged in alineinent on one side of the bar, and also with a series of notches 13, arranged intermediate the alining notches 12 and at varying distances. The vibrating tongue 9 is provided with a tooth or lug 14, arranged to ride upon the periphery of the screw-thread 3 as the swinging arm 5 travels from one end to the other of the screw threaded bar. lWhen the tooth or lug 14 rests upon the periphery of the screw thread, the free end 15 of the vibrating tongue 9 is raised out of contact with the swinging arm 5; but as the tooth 14 passes the notches in the screw-thread the elastic band 11 draws the vibrating tongue forcibly into contact IOO with the swinging arm, thereby producing a succession of sharp taps or sounds as the tooth 14 enters the notches in the screwthread.

Projecting from the end of the bar 1, opposite the handle 2, is a stop-pin 16, arranged in the path of a stud 17, projecting from the side of one of the collars 4 in order to stop the rotation of the swinging arm when the tooth 14: enters the last notch in the series of alining notches 12. The end 18 of the lever 6 is then pressed to rock the lever and raises the tooth 7 out of engagement with the screw-thread 3, allowing the swinging arm 5 to be moved back to the other end of the bar and the operation of swinging the arm around the bar repeated. As the swinging arm is moved back lengthwise the bar 1 the tooth 14 slides along the passage formed by the row ot' notches 12, and the tooth 14 is brought into proper position at the end of screw-thread. The tooth la is slightly longer than the space between the screw-threads, so it will be guided by the notches 12, and when the swinging arm traverses the screw-thread the center of the tooth 14 rests upon the periphery of the screw-thread, as shown in Fig. et. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form 19 of the tooth on the vibrating tongue, which consists in forming rounded or beveled ends 20 in order to permit the swinging arm to be returned without providing a row of notches by' sliding the tooth 19 over the screw-thread.

In addition to arranging the notches ofthe screw-thread at varying distances apart in order to produce the desired intervals, as shown in Fig. 7, the notches may be formed of varying depths in order to produce an accent or emphasis, as shown in Fig. 8, in which the notches a, b, c, and d are less than the depth of the screw-thread. The notch e is cut its entire depth, so that if the tooth of the vibrating tongue is made to travel over the notches in the direction of the arrow 2l an accent or emphasis will be given to the last note as the tooth enters the deep notch e. The swinging arm 5 is hollow, forming a sounding-box 22, with thin sides 23, against one of which the end 15 of the vibrating tongue strikes as the tooth 14C enters each of the notches in the screw-thread 8.

The free end of the swinging arm 5 is loaded by the insertion of a metal bar 24, securely attached to the arm by screws 25, in order to give increased momentum. The metal bar 24 is provided with an opening 26, communicating with the sounding-box 22 for the escape of sound-waves formed in the sounding-box. In place of the elastic bands 8 and 11 metal springs of any known form of construction may be employed. For example, a bladespring may be used with the vibrating tongue 9 and aspiral compression-spring applied beneath the end 18 of the lever 6, and as the application of such springs will be well unfderstood l have not deemed it necessary to illustrate them in detail.

XVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a barand a swinging arm capable of rotating about said bar, of a series of notches on said bar, a yielding tooth arranged to engage said notches, and means for advancing said arm along said bar, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a bar provided with a series of notches of varying distances apart, a swinging arm capable of rotating about said bar, and a yielding member carried by said arm and arranged to engage said notches, whereby with a uniform movement of the swinging arm sounds are produced with vary-V ing intervals, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a bar provided with a screw-thread, a swinging arm capable of rotating about said bar, and means for engaging said screw-thread, whereby said arm is traversed along` said bar, a yielding member carried by said arm, and means on said bar for engaging said yielding member and producing a snapping sound as the arm travels along said bar, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a rhythmical rattle, of a stationary, notched member provided with notches varying in distance apart and in depth, an arm arranged to swing around said notched member and a yielding member carfried by said arm and arranged to snap against the arm as actuated by said notched member' and produce a series of rhythmical sounds va-v rying in accent and at varying intervals, substantially as described.

5. The combination oil a bar and an arm ca= pable of rotating around said bar, of a series of notches of varying depth on said bar, and a yielding member carried by said arm and arranged to enga-ge said notches, whereby a series of snapping sounds are produced with an accent, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a bar and a swinging arm, of a screw-thread on said bar, a lever pivoted on said arm, yielding means for normally holding said lever in engagement with said screw-thread, whereby said arm is traversed along said bar, a yielding member carried by said arm, and means on said bar for intermittently engaging said yielding member and producing a succession of snapping sounds, substantially as described.

7. The combination of abar provided with a screw-thread, a swinging arm capable of rotating about said bar, means carried by said arm for engaging?,` said screw-th read, whereby said arm is traversed along said bar, means for disengaging said arm from said screwthread,a series of notchesi said screw-thread, a yielding member carried by said arm and arranged to engage said notches, substantially as described.

d. The combination ot' a bar provided with a screw-thread having a series of notches 12 in alinement, an arm capable of rotating around said bar, a lever pivoted on said arm and engaging said. screwthread, a yielding Idd log

member carried by said arm and provided with a tooth arranged to snap into said notches, means for disengaging said arm from said screw-thread, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a bar provided With a screw-thread, an arm capable of swinging around said bar, means carried by said arm for engaging said screw thread, a row of notches 12, a yielding member carried by said arm and provided with a tooth engaging said notches, and a stop for checking the rotation of said arm, with its tooth in said row of notches, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a bar provided with a screW-threadhavin g a series of notches, colD 

